Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-11-17
Gas House improvements.

I Gas House improvements
On, yes, said Superintendent Averill IN
the journal man recently while he was in
'pec'ing the gas house premises, I'VE have
made many Improvements here durino the
year, and the best part of il all i the i'm.
proSements are in the highest degree bene-
nciai to the consumers of our gas ,rbav ar.
getting superior light at less cost. When
'iie gas was first given to consumers in this
CITY 1t was only of sixteen candle power. twas
steadily increased to an average of about
twenty, the power when came here. and
SINCE these improvements have been made we
nave raised its test to twenty-four candle
power. Such gas as we are furnishing il
commercially pure. But let me show Won
over the works and explain things as we 90
along. Supt. Ayerill first introduced the
scribe to the distilling room where the appar-
atus Tor burning the coal, washing. and con-
densing the gas obtained, is carried on. The
enormous iron tubes extended to the roof of
the building The furnace. super-heater,
washer and condenser are all new and of the
latest patents producing what is known as water
gas Going TO large, round covered hole
the superintendent removed the cover, after
adjusting several precautionary corks and
valves, and allowed the party look into the
hottest place that was ever seen by those ven
turing this was the furnace. From the fur
I sold
TO this super-heater and from the super-heater
to the washer and thence to the condenser.
Now come with me to another room and +
VIII show You the latest method of purifying
the gas. Entering the room, mathematcaly
arranged were seen four larger fiat iron boxes
one of which open disclosed a solid bed of
slaked lime. This lime" said the Supcrin-
tendent, is the new method of purifying gas
Formerly milk of lime was used but the
odor arising was terribly offensive Then
IRON OXIDE was employed but | have dumped
that used here over the bank This agency
renders the gas commercially pure" Mr.
Averill then explained that by a valve system
from a centre tank beneath only three Of
these boxes were in use at time and while
they were being employed the fourth was be
ing filed with new slaked lime. After lead
ing the journal party through intricate ar
engagements of pipes in the basement the
Superintendent ushered it to the office and
explained the manner in which the inlets and
outlets to the two holders were governed
All was clock work, handy as possible
Right here said the superintendent, II am
going to place a large meter so that we can
determine the amount of gas manufactured
and passed to the holders by consulting the
meter placed in the centre of my office
1t will be n large machine but We can do
without the space it occupies much better than
without the machine" The Superintendent
then conducted the scribe 20 the new holder
where most of the summers work has taken
! place. II want you to see how high we had
TO raise the grading here, said MIR. Averill
as he led the way to the brook side of the
holder; you see that this carth-work has
been raised more than twenty feet. We be
gan building the brick wall enclosing the
holder by LAYING six courses and reinforcing
it by the carth-work 50 that both were built
together and As fast as built made solid You
see the top of the wall contains only four
courses of brick SO that in building mp two
have been droppe |. but the earth-work hoops
when We first let the water into the holder
There is the enormous pressure of 1000
pounds to the square foot at the bottom of that
wall and questioned unless great care was
taken in letting on the water whether OF not it
would at first test sustain the weight. But we
let it on very gradually and succeeded in filling
the holder without accident, The only trouble
with such constructions is the testing what
mechanically seems correct But asked
the scribe, What keeps the water from freez-
| ing in the winter" Let me show You" re-
piled the genial gentleman; There are two
pipes one the water pipe and the other a
steam pipe; they both enter the water
at an angle; the discharged water creates a
current that goes clear round the tank and
the same time the steam passing in at nearly
the same angle makes that current warm
one 50 that it can freeze neither inside or
outside the tank BY the way there is one
thing about this holder that wish to cali
=aour attention to. 1t can be lowered so that
the top of it is below this brick wall. thus
allowing the consumption of its entire store
of gas if necessary and always giving good
pressure. Its capacity is i2.0oo cubic feet
and when both holders are filled We have
Gl 600 cubic feet of gas"
The party returned to the office where
after listening to good advice concerning the
Burning of gas the scribe and his friend
balc the superintendent good night aud re-
turned to the office.
| Superintendent Averil is perfect gentle
man. courteous and polite, and master of his
business The hour spent with him was most
Measurable and instructive. We doubt whether
the interests of the company and those of
the consumers as we'll could be placed in
better hands The gas house is good place
for parties looking about the city to visit.
Personal
Hon. II. NJ. Heath was in Bangor Tuesday
Captain II. y. Fairbanks of Bangor was